Gravity discharge arrangement for hoppers

ABSTRACT

A gravity gate attached to the discharge end of a hopper includes a frame including converging walls sloping toward a discharge opening The gate consists of a sector shaped plate having an arcuate edge provided with a plurality of gear teeth which are driven by means of a spiral gear rotatable about a horizontal axis. One end of the sector shaped plate is pivotally connected to the frame for pivotal movement about a vertical axis.

Unlted States Patent 11 1 1111 3,788,530 Adler 1 51 Jan. 29, 1974 [54] GRAVITY DISCHARGE ARRANGEMENT 1,105,639 8/1914 Estabrook 222/557 X FOR HOPPERS 2,081,999 6/1937 Hallquist et al.. 105/283 X 2,270,139 1/1942 Petwa 222/557 v ntor: f g l n ler, M lgan City 2,718,333 9/1955 wolfj 222/462 x n [73] Assignee: Pullman Transport Leasing Primary Examiner-Robert B. Reeves Company, Chicago, [11. Assistant Examiner-Frederick R. Handren Filed: Dec. 1971 Attorney, Agent, or FzrmH1lmond O. Vogel et al.

[21] Appl. No.: 209,251 [57] ABSTRACT 52 us. 01 222/508, 222/557, 105/283 A l gate attachqd to F dscharge. end a [51] Int Cl 861d 7/18 per includes a frame including converging walls slop- [58] Field of Search 222/505, 557, 508; 105/282, mg Ward 3 dscharge QPenmg The gate cmsts a 105/283 sector shaped plate having an arcuate edge provided with a plurality of gear teeth WhlCl'l are driven by f a s iral ear rotatable about a horizontal [56] References Cited mzms o p g axis. One end of the sector shaped plate is pivotally UNITED STATES PATENTS connected to the frame for pivotal movement about a 898,689 9/1908 7 Sawyer 222/557 X vertical axis. 2,044,326 6/1936 Pickell.... 222/557 X 3,191,944 6/1965 Watts 222/505 X 13 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTEU JAN 2 9 I974 SHEEI 1 OF 3 GRAVITY DISCHARGE ARRANGEMENT FOR HOPPERS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The invention relates to hopper discharge arrangements for discharging material such as may be carried within a railway hopper car.

2. Description of the Prior Art Railway hopper cars generally are equipped with a plurality of hoppers having discharge arrangements at their lower ends. Such discharge arrangements may be of the gravity or pneumatic type. The gravity type generally is provided with a sliding gate which is movable transversely from underneath the hopper opening to one side thereof, therebycontrolling gravity discharge of material. The most common type of gate arrangement includes gear racks secured beneath the gate, these in turn being actuated by suitable pinions carried on rotating shafts, whereby the gate is moved in straight or linear direction. Some of the problems of this type of gate arrangement are inadequate sealing and difficulty in opening the gate due to the weight of the materialsthereon when it'is in the closed position.

SUMMARY his a prime object of the present invention to-provide an improved gravity gate for controlling the discharge opening of a hopper. A frame of rectangular configuration includes downwardly sloping walls terminating in opening through which material is discharged, a sector shaped closure plate is pivotally connected to the frame for swinging movement about a vertical axis. The frame is provided with a slot through which the plate is slidingly movable to one side of the discharge opening in the open position. The sector shaped gate is provided with an arcuate edge which includes a row of teeth drivingly engaged by a spiral gear which is rotated about a horizontal axis by means of a shaft supported on the frame.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of a gravity gate arrangement adapted to be connected to the discharge end of a hopper;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-.2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a .cross'sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken substantially along the line 4--4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken substantially along the line 5-5 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken along the line of 6-6 of FIG. 1, and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a gravity gate.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A hopper arrangement designated at 10 is disclosed in FIG. 1 and is of a type conventional in railway hopper cars. The arrangement 10 includes a plurality of sloping walls 11 converging inwardly and being provided with an outwardly projecting flange 12 extending around the walls 11 which are disposed in rectangular configuration. A discharge opening for the hopper arrangement 10 is designated at 13. A gravity gate discharge arrangement is'generally designated at 14 and includes a rectangular frame 15 and a plurality of second sloping walls 16 also disposed in rectangular fashion, converging inwardly and being suitably attached by means of an attaching flange 17 to the flange 12 of the hopper arrangement 10. The frame 15 is provided with a plurality of vertical frame members I8, 19, 20 and 21, defining a discharge opening 22. The vertical frame member 18 is provided with an attaching flange 23 suitably connected to one of the sloping walls 16, as best shown in FIG. 3. The vertical frame member 19 is suitably provided with a horizontal flange 24, as best shown in FIG. 3. The vertical frame member 20 is provided with an attaching flange 25, suitably connected to one of the converging walls 16, as best shown in FIG.

4. Also, the vertical frame member 21 includes an attaching flange 26 connected to one of the sloping walls 16 as shown in FIG. 4. As best shown in FIG. 5, an angle bracket 27 is connected to one of the walls 16 and is vertically spaced in respect to the flange 24 to pro-vide a slot 28 through which a gate or closure plate 29 is slidably movable. During the opening and closing of the gate 29 the same is movable through the said slot 28. As best shown in FIG. 4, a horizontal extension 30 carried by'the vertical frame member 21 projects partially into the discharge opening 22 and is adapted to support one end of the gate 29. The gate 29 is pivotally connected to a pivot pin 31 supported on a horizontal angle member 32 (FIG. 7) so that the gate 29 may be pivoted about a vertical axis. A horizontal angle member 33 extends horizontally from the member to the vertical frame member 19 (FIG. 2). As best shown in FIG. 2, a similarhorizontal angle member 33 extends from the frame member 18 and is suitably connected to a transverse angle member 37, as best shown in FIG. 7. The horizontal angle member 32 also is connected to said angle member 37. As best shown in FIG. 7, another horizontal angle member 34 extends and is connected to a transverse angle member 36 which then extends across and is also suitably connected to the angle members 33 and 32. A laterally extending angle member 35 also is connected at one end to the angle mem- I 45. The operating heads 45 are conventional and may bers 32, 33 and 34. As best shown in FIG. 7, the transverse angle member 36 is also connected by a short angle member 38 which is also connected to the angle member 37.

As best shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, a stop and sealing bar 39 isrigidly connected to the upper surface of the gate 29, and during the closed position of the gate as shown in FIG. 5, is effective to sea] the slot '28, the said bar also being in engagement with a vertical stop bar 40, rigidly secured to the angle bracket 27.

The gate 29 is provided with an arcuate edge 41 containing a roll of gear teeth 42. A gate actuating mechanism is generally designated at 43 and includes a horizontal shaft 44 having at opposite ends operating heads be manually actuated by an operator engaging the said heads with a suitable pry bar (not shown). The shaft 44 is rotatably supported in bearings 46 respectively car ried on the transverse members 35, 36 and 37. A spiral gear 47 is connected to the bar 44 for rotation therewith and is in driving engagement with respect to the teeth 42.

Agate lock, as best shown in FIG. 6, is generally-designated at 48 and includes a bracket 49 rigidly secured to a side of the angle member 34. The bracket 49 includes an inwardly directed flange 50 suitably apertured. A swivel bracket 51 includes at one end swivel eyes 52 privotally connected by means of hinge pins 53 to ears 54 projecting upwardly from the angle member 34. A horizontal flange 55 on the swivel bracket 51 is adapted to lie on top of the flange 50 and is suitably apertured so that a suitable car seal 56 may secure the flanges 50 and 55 together to lock the gate in the closed position.

OPERATION While only one hopper structure has been shown, in the conventional hopper car generally three or more hoppers are carried on said car. Each one of them may be regulated by means of the discharge arrangement disclosed. When the car reaches its destination the car seal is broken and the swivel bracket 51 is hinged to an out of the way position, thus permitting movement of the gate 29 to an open position. Rotation of the shaft 44 by means of manual operation provides for movement of the gate 29 from the closed position shown in FIG. 7 to an open position to one side of the said discharge opening 22, the gate then being supported on the members 32, 33 and 34. A baffle plate 58 is rigidly secured in one corner of the gate arrangement where two of the walls 16 join one another, as best shown in FIGS. 1 and 7. The baffle 58 includes an arcuate lower edge 59 which overlaps the gate 29. The baffle 58 directs the material descending from one side of the arrangement on top of the gate 29, the said baffle being disposed over the extension 30. During the open position material drops by gravity through the opening 22 and the gate, of course, is moved by the spiral gear 47 and can be adjusted to a plurality of positions for directing the desired amount of material through the desired opening 22. In the closed position the seal bar 39 (FIG. forms an effective seal for sealing the slot 28. The weight of the material on the gate 29 provides for effective sealing of the gate along its edges and with the seal bar 39 seals all possible points through which material might tend to leak from the interior of the discharge arrangement. Thus, dumping by gravity may be by a suitable underground dump located between the rails 57 between which the hopper discharge arrangement is supported.

In the present invention the closure plate or gate 29 lies on the level edge of the frame 15. No gaskets are required along the edges of the gate since the weight of the load provides for effective tight sealing. Also, the present type of gate by virtue, of the worm gear or spiral gear drive provides the necessary leverage to easily open the gate by the load material thereon.

Thus, it is believed that the present invention as described and claimed achieves the prime objects of this invention.

What is claimed is;

l. A discharge arrangement for a hopper structure having a plurality of sloping walls and a discharge opening, comprising:

a frame connected to said structure around said discharge opening,

a horizontal gate slidingly supported on said frame below said discharge opening,

pivot means connecting said gate to said frame for pivotal movement of the gate about a vertical axis, and

actuating means operatively connected to said gate for moving the same about said pivotal axis from a closed position with respect to said discharge opening to an open position to one side of said opening,

said frame having an immovable horizontal extension projecting partially into the discharge opening, said extension having a concave edge portion,

said gate having a convex curved edge portion overlaying said concave curved edge portion in substantially supporting by abutting relation thereto and preventing discharge of the hopper contents in the closed position of the gate,

the gate curved edge portion being complementally contoured with respect to the extension curved edge portion in maintaining the overlapping relation between the portion as the actuating means pivots the gate from closed position to the open position.

2. The invention in accordance with claim 1, said frame including second walls connected to said hopper structure, and sloping toward said discharge opening,

one of said second walls including a slot through which said gate is slidingly movable.

3. The invention in accordance with claim 1, said actuating means comprising:

gear drive means adjacent one end of said gate, and

gear driven means on said gate engaged by said drive means. 4. The invention in accordance with claim 1, said frame including,

second sloping walls disposed in rectangular configuration and providing a second discharge opening below said first discharge opening, one of said second walls including a slot through which said gate is slidingly movable, said actuating means including a plurality of gear teeth on one edge of said gate, a shaft supported on said frame for rotation about a horizontal axis, and gear means on said shaft engaging said teeth. 5. The invention in accordance with claim 1, said frame having second sloping walls disposed in rectangular configuration providing a second discharge opening below said gate, said edge portion having an arcuate edge, gear teeth on said edge, and said actuating means including rotatable gear means drivingly engaging said gear teeth. 6. The invention in accordance with claim 5, said gate being of sector shape,

said gear means including a spiral gear rotatable about a horizontal axis. 7. A discharge arrangement for a hopper structure having a plurality of sloping walls and a discharge opening, comprising:

ing to an open position to one side of said opening, said gate having a sector shape and an outer arcuate edge,

said actuating means including a spiral gear, and

gear teeth on said arcuate edge drivingly engaged by said spiral gear, and

a baffle plate disposed on said frame having a lower edge overlapping said arcuate edge for directing material flow into said gate.

8. The invention in accordance with claim 7, said baffle plate having an arcuate shape in cross section and said lower edge conforming generally to the arcuate edge of said gate.

9. The invention in accordance with claim 7, said plate having a segmental configuration,

said frame including a plurality of second sloping walls connected 'at corners and disposed in relatively rectangular configuration, and

said plate being supported on said frame at one of said corners.

10. The invention according to claim 1 and said edge portion of the gate being substantially arcuate and said edge portion of the horizontal extension being substantially arcuate.

11. The invention according to claim 1 and a baffle plate disposed on said frame and having a lower edge overlapping the edge portion of the said gate for directing material flow unto said gate.

12. The invention according to claim 1 and said gate having a vertical seal stop limiting inward movement of the gate in the closed position of the gate and sealing the hopper and said frame having a lock stop limiting outward movement of the gate in the closed position of the gate.

13. The invention according to claim 1 and said frame having additional horizontal gate edges at the other sides of the frame cooperative with the horizontal extension in supporting and sealing the gate in the closed position thereof. 

1. A discharge arrangement for a hopper structure having a plurality of sloping walls and a discharge opening, comprising: a frame connected to said structure around said discharge opening, a horizontal gate slidingly supported on said frame below said discharge opening, pivot means connecting said gate to said frame for pivotal movement of the gate about a vertical axis, and actuating means operatively connected to said gate for moving the same about said pivotal axis from a closed position with respect to said discharge opening to an open position to one side of said opening, said frame having an immovable horizontal extension projecting partially into the discharge opening, said extension having a concave edge portion, said gate having a convex curved edge portion overlaying said concave curved edge portion in substantially supporting by abutting relation thereto and preventing discharge of the hopper contents in the closed position of the gate, the gate curved edge portion being complementally contoured with respect to the extension curved edge portion in maintaining the overlapping relation between the portion as the actuating means pivots the gate from closed position to the open position.
 2. The invention in accordance with claim 1, said frame including second walls connected to said hopper structure, and sloping toward said discharge opening, one of said second walls including a slot through which said gate is slidingly movable.
 3. The invention in accordance with claim 1, said actuating means comprising: gear drive means adjacent One end of said gate, and gear driven means on said gate engaged by said drive means.
 4. The invention in accordance with claim 1, said frame including, second sloping walls disposed in rectangular configuration and providing a second discharge opening below said first discharge opening, one of said second walls including a slot through which said gate is slidingly movable, said actuating means including a plurality of gear teeth on one edge of said gate, a shaft supported on said frame for rotation about a horizontal axis, and gear means on said shaft engaging said teeth.
 5. The invention in accordance with claim 1, said frame having second sloping walls disposed in rectangular configuration providing a second discharge opening below said gate, said edge portion having an arcuate edge, gear teeth on said edge, and said actuating means including rotatable gear means drivingly engaging said gear teeth.
 6. The invention in accordance with claim 5, said gate being of sector shape, said gear means including a spiral gear rotatable about a horizontal axis.
 7. A discharge arrangement for a hopper structure having a plurality of sloping walls and a discharge opening, comprising: a frame connected to said structure around said discharge opening, a horizontal gate slidingly supported on said frame below said discharge opening, pivot means connecting said gate to said frame for pivotal movement of the gate about a vertical axis, and actuating means operatively connected to said gate for moving the same about said pivotal axis from a closed position with respect to said discharge opening to an open position to one side of said opening, said gate having a sector shape and an outer arcuate edge, said actuating means including a spiral gear, and gear teeth on said arcuate edge drivingly engaged by said spiral gear, and a baffle plate disposed on said frame having a lower edge overlapping said arcuate edge for directing material flow into said gate.
 8. The invention in accordance with claim 7, said baffle plate having an arcuate shape in cross section and said lower edge conforming generally to the arcuate edge of said gate.
 9. The invention in accordance with claim 7, said plate having a segmental configuration, said frame including a plurality of second sloping walls connected at corners and disposed in relatively rectangular configuration, and said plate being supported on said frame at one of said corners.
 10. The invention according to claim 1 and said edge portion of the gate being substantially arcuate and said edge portion of the horizontal extension being substantially arcuate.
 11. The invention according to claim 1 and a baffle plate disposed on said frame and having a lower edge overlapping the edge portion of the said gate for directing material flow unto said gate.
 12. The invention according to claim 1 and said gate having a vertical seal stop limiting inward movement of the gate in the closed position of the gate and sealing the hopper and said frame having a lock stop limiting outward movement of the gate in the closed position of the gate.
 13. The invention according to claim 1 and said frame having additional horizontal gate edges at the other sides of the frame cooperative with the horizontal extension in supporting and sealing the gate in the closed position thereof. 